


The Balance of Heart and Mind

by Shigan



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Baby crush, Drama, F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Quidditch, different take on magic, the hogwarts AU no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 11:42:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30088581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shigan/pseuds/Shigan
Summary: For the first time in a century, a sun mage has come to Hogwarts.Rapunzel can't wait to start her academic year of wizardry, magical beasts and quidditch, and where's a better place to hone her rare magical gift than at one of the best magical school in the world? Now if only making friends were as easy, especially with this girl named Cassandra whose moon magic crackles with electric blue, which sets her own sun magic off like a frizzy, explosive lantern.The Hogwarts AU no one but me asked for. Literally. Raps and Cass go to Hogwarts, with a plot, and alternate take on the sun and moon magic.
Relationships: Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 54





	1. The Sun Mage

**Author's Note:**

> Beta: Cyn, as usual, nothing gets done without her.

Stealing her father’s trice-enchanted bicycle had been a last ditch resort when Rapunzel with growing panic saw the Hogwarts express roll away from platform nine and three-quarters. Anna, her sweet second-cousin, squiggled herself out from the ventilation shaft where Pascal and Olaf had snuck into, she emerged with both animals in tow and looked just as horrified as Rapunzel upon landing. 

“My sister is going to  _ kill  _ me.” Anna hissed, her red hair tousled and squeezing her pet mink dangerously tight. Olaf squeaked in protest. “Oh Raps, what do we do?”

“C’mon.” She said and dragged Anna away by hand, her worry sinking in her belly like a stone. Pascal’s small, warm body leaped up to her shoulder and it felt good to have him back again. Her father was nowhere in sight but his bike was still right outside the station.

“We’re going to miss the sorting.” Anna groaned. “And I told Elsa I could make the trip on my own. She’s never going to let me live this down! They’ll stick me in Slytherin as punishment.”

“Not if we catch the train.” Rapunzel answered. Her voice was resolute as she pulled the purple and blue bike up and scrambled into the seat. It was clearly made for adults and she had to stand to be able to pedal properly, but it had a rear rack and a basket in front where her father put his briefcase for work. “Anna, get on. We’re going to Hogwarts.”

Anna blinked, then her mouth turned into a small o in comprehension. “You’re mad.” 

“My mom’s the dean. I’m  _ not _ going to be late for sorting.” She proclaimed with certainty. The animals were stuffed into the basket with a scarf to keep them warm. Anna got on with no further argument and held onto her slightly shorter cousin, still looking doubtful but with no better ideas to solve their situation.

“This is mad. Gran always said your side of the family went a bit nutty from the sun magic. You’re not going to go mage-loco now, are you?” Her cousin babbled.

“Anna, be quiet, I’m trying to focus.”

She got them into a decent speed as they careened down the road, both girls kicked off the ground as hard as they could. Rapunzel could feel the magic come alive in her, like a low burning fever, needles and butterflies along her limbs and in her chest. Her hair responded instantly as her usual russet suddenly came alight in gold. She was finally going to Hogwarts after years of homeschooling, and a tiny snag like this would  _ not _ stop her. The bike spluttered as the enchantment kicked in and leaped forward like a gazelle in flight, then, they took off into the sky while Rapunzel pedalled them towards the north as if her life depended on it.

***

Her mom hadn’t been terribly angry.

Frederic, after discovering his missing bike, had promptly called Arianna. This meant the headmistress had been prepared, somewhat, for her daughter to arrive at the school in an unorthodox way. What she had not prepared for however was for Rapunzel to hit the whomping willow and get thrown into the grand stairway, straight into the assembly and crash land in front of the whole school. Notebooks, cauldrons and pets were everywhere, the bike ended up in pieces and both girls would need new robes.

Arianna der Sonne merely looked critically at her daughter in mild amusement when professor Adira had marched the first years into the great hall. Not even one hour into the school year and she had already made a mess of things. Rapunzel’s cheeks burned in shame. Maybe father had been right after all, maybe she really wasn’t ready to be out among people. Arianna’s calm demeanor calmed her somehow, and it was  _ good _ to see mom again. 

Rapunzel looked around, torn between the awesome view of the candle lit roof and the overwhelming number of her new schoolmates. She had never seen so many children in one place before! The headmistress’s eyes passed quickly onto the disgruntled and dusty form of Anna, and shook her head. Elsa Arendelle peeked up from her seat at the Ravenclaw table and looked quizzically at her younger sibling, rolling her eyes in consternation.

The sorting was called. She watched excitedly as a short boy named Varian was sorted into Ravenclaw and the table erupts in cheers. Her big cousin, Elsa, stood and applauded with the rest of her house. Anna wiggled nervously beside her, trying her best to straighten her ripped robes.

“I’m  _ not _ going into Slytherin.” She hissed under her breath. “They say they have one of the bad ones this year! I heard her mom was part of the coup twenty years ago, and went as bad as they could go.”

Rapunzel blinked. “Bad ones?”

“ _ The kids of the mages who follow Zhan Tiri. _ Blimey, Raps, you never pay attention to these things, do you?” 

“Well, it’s not like I  _ could _ \--” She started, but was interrupted when Anna’s name was called. She watched the redhead freeze and slowly make her way up the stage, embarrassment pouring out of every pore over the state of her hair and clothes. Rapunzel gave her a sheepish thumb-up as the other sat down, the girl’s gaze swept the crowd nervously to look for her sister. 

The hat had barely touched Anna’s head before calling _ GRYFFINDOR,  _ and Rapunzel could literally see how her cousin sagged in relief. The Gryffindor table roared in cheers. A tall, dark-skinned boy with a shaved head greeted the first year as she scampered over to their table, her smile seemed to touch her ears.

“Rapunzel  _ der Sonne _ .” 

The great hall fell quiet. A wave of whispers suddenly filled the space as people turned to the first years, trying to identify her. The first years gaped and looked between themselves. Several kids stood up on their chairs to get a better view. 

Rapunzel bit her lip and tried to focus on her mother’s face as she pushed her way through the throng of students, the voices followed her as she went;  _ That’s her! Der Sonne, its der Sonne! The first sun mage in a century. The rarest magical line. They tried to steal her, so her parents hid her away. I heard she arrived on an enchanted bike! I heard she can mend sickness like a healer. I heard she can already dispel dark arts with no wand, she, she, she--.  _ Rapunzel gritted her teeth as she ascended to the chair and sat down. A couple of hundreds of eyes were upon her as the hat was placed upon her head. The world held its breath.

All of sudden, one of the doors to the great hall slammed open. 

A  _ girl _ strode in. She looked like the shadowy branches of a willow tree; lean, agile and with handsome, long limbs to match a pale, serious face. Wavy, raven hair crowned her delicate features in a short cut, her robes looked immaculate and a tawny horned owl perched upon her shoulder. She swept her eyes at the assembly, unsure of what to make of the silence and jaw stiff in surprise. She walked over to the Slytherin table with no inclinations to hurry.

“How nice of you to join us, ms. Knightlet.” Professor Adira remarked dryly. The girl met her words with an angry, hostile look.

The headmistress made a pacifying gesture towards her colleague and simply waited for the dark haired girl to take her seat. Arianna and the girl exchanged an unreadable look and Rapunzel thought she saw fondness in her mother’s eyes.

Another wave of buzzing whispers followed; _Of course it would be her. Always the exception, isn’t she? Be quiet, she will hear and hex you when you're asleep. She shouldn’t be here. She’s a Hallowblight, she’s not tricking anyone with that name. Hallowblight, the bad blood, the dark ones, worshippers of She-who-must-not-wake, the moon eaters--_ They fell silent as the headmistress cleared her throat in displeasure. Rapunzel swallowed and hoped they would hurry, because she was getting quite eager to be sorted.

As if she had read her thoughts, the girl turned her attention to Rapunzel. Their eyes met and the world  _ shifted _ . 

The sorting hat became a muffled noise, like if there was cotton in her ears. Her whole body suddenly jolted forwards as if  _ pulled _ by some unseen force. Unable to stop herself, she yelped and her magic roared to life. Across the room, the other girl seemed to experience something similar as she braced herself in bewilderment. Rapunzel felt her mother’s eyes upon her, cautiously and curiously studying the interaction taking place.

For the briefest of moments, there was a flash of gold and blue, whisks of old magic crackling in the air. Few noticed and those who did threw it off as a play of the great hall’s peculiar lights. Rapunzel looked over at Arianna and her mother had definitely noticed, as did Elsa Arendelle who stood from her chair and looked between them in rapt fascination. 

Rapunzel turned to ask, her magic still humming beneath her skin, but was interrupted by the sorting hat who cared little about the peculiarities of human children.

“ _ HUFFLEPUFF!!!” _ It bellowed, and she descended from the stairs, unaware of the grey eyes who followed her for the rest of the eve.

***

Rapunzel didn’t think about the girl with the raven hair again until she much later sank down in front of the crackling hearthfire of the Hufflepuff common room. Stuffed with roast chicken and peas and mash, and a generous serving of treacle tart, she sank down in her armchair in sleepy content. Her new schoolmates milled around her, eager to talk and ask questions. A boy had stuffed his pockets full of candied pineapples and was passing them around and they were all merry. That’s where Eugene found her, sauntering up with all the confidence of his superior two-years age gap and the endless wisdom of a third year. He was already in his casuals, yellow tie askew and his robe was nowhere to be found. She bounced up and ran to him for a hug.

“Sunshine!” He laughed and twirled her around.

“Eugene, it’s so good to see you!” She mumbled excitedly into his sweater, her tummy aching a bit from all the good food and happiness. “I couldn’t find you in the crowd!”

“Well, you know me, had a few friends to catch up with.”

“Too busy to say hi to your best friend?” She pouted. “I was so worried I would be put in Slytherin, where I don’t know anyone at all.”

“You would have done great no matter the house, Raps.” He reassured her. “But I agree, Slytherin can look a bit scary.”

“That’s an awful lot of new people to get used to.” She looked down at her feet. A small part of her missed her house in the wild countryside, hidden among tall hills and woods, where she had to fly a broom for an hour to get to Elsa and Anna, and another to get to Eugene. She would miss her father’s awkward dinner routine when mother was away, and when Pascal pulled her away from her books to run barefoot in the grass. She  _ knew _ why they had lived so isolated, but didn’t expect her first hours at Hogwarts to make her miss home.

“Why do people think Slytherin is so scary?” She asked, and didn’t mean to speak so loud. A circle of students around them fell silent and stared. “Mom always just talked about the four houses, and said they all had good sides.”

Eugene looked her over sympathetically and combed a hand through his well-kept hair. He was very careful about taking care of his hair, she remembered. 

“That’s because most mages who followed Zhan Tiri were from Slytherin, and most of them died in the insurrection. That’s why there’s fewer of them.” He answered truthfully, but the old history of the war was an uncomfortable subject, even for the Hufflepuffs. Not all mages who had followed She-who-must-not-wake had been from the House of the Serpent. 

“And then they attacked the headmistress and her family.” Another freckled second year boy piped up from the side. “That’s ten years ago.”

Oh. Rapunzel blinked. She had been told the story, but her father always made it seem like it was no big deal. A bit of danger he and mom had gotten out of, and then they had decided to move out to the countryside because of the air. Eugene and her schoolmates however, held no need to sugarcoat the story for her.

“That’s when Gothel Hallowblight betrayed the Demanitus Order, led what was left of the Zhan Tiri followers and attacked the Der Sonnes in their home.” Eugene explained slowly, relishing in his storytelling. The other students hung onto his every word. “That’s when they tried to take  _ you _ , Rapunzel. You were just a baby, but they somehow  _ knew _ what you were.”

Rapunzel swallowed nervously. 

A fourth year girl with long, blonde hair and a stubby sort of nose looked up from a bag of sweets and frowned at the gathered crowd. “Stop scaring her, Fitzherbert. Can’t we all just be happy that our house now has a mage who can use old magic? First trueborn Sun mage in over a century? A  _ Lightbringer _ ? God, I can’t wait to shove it up my brother’s face, that’s gonna show the prancing Ravenclaws and their obsession with  _ Elsa Arendelle. _ ” The girl said the name as if it was a particularly sour fruit.

“And Gryffindor with their fire mage, whatshisface!” Another student shot up. The students started to get lively around them, making Rapunzel a bit anxious. “We got one for the Huffs now, good to have you, Der Sonne.” A chorus of cheers followed.

“Does Slytherin have someone like me as well?” She asked out of curiosity, not really knowing what to expect.

“Yeah, and you already know her.  _ Cassandra  _ Hallowblight- oh excuse me,  _ Knightlet,  _ as we’re supposed to call her now.” Eugene made a face. 

Another girl named Hilda spoke up, her voice low in a pretense whisper. “They say she was born in Azkaban after her mother was tossed there and left to rot, and the dementors ate her soul as a baby.”

“That’s ridiculous, how is she a third-year then?” Eugene scoffed and shrugged as he helped himself to a fistful of candy. “Guess you’ll see, sunshine. Real joy, that one.”

***

Rapunzel forgot about the dark haired girl for a few days as her classes started, and they were  _ fun. _

She looked down at the pile of books in front of her desk in glee. Her parents had made sure she had a more than adequate supply of books and tomes at home, but everything she had seen in her life up to this point paled to the grand halls of the Hogwarts library. Rows and rows of shelves, stuffed to the brim with books of every size and colour, with ladders and overwalks crisscrossing through the space filled every nook and corner of the room. Floating lanterns and great chandeliers cast the place into a hazy, dull light and you could see every particle of dust in the stagnant, dry air.

Anna looked over her pile skeptically as she happily handed over her card to the librarian. Her cousin picked up a particularly heavy tome and scrunched her face.

“ _ Runes, Signs and Hieroglyphs- Magical Imagery Across Cultures _ ?” She read in slight dread. “Really?”

“I like when magic is expressed through pictures, ok?” Rapunzel chirped. “And come on, we’re going to be late.”

“And whose fault is that?” Anna groaned dramatically.

The cousins dashed down the corridor, sharing the load of Rapunzel’s books between them. They had been late for two classes since last week and detention was quickly becoming something she would avoid at all cost. The corridor to the defence against the dark arts classroom was a narrow stone path which opened up into a small garden where professor Adira was finishing her class with the third years. 

It turned out they were early. Ravenclaws and Slytherins were still evenly spread out on the grass as the woman with the half-painted face showed them the wandworks of a counterspell. Rapunzel and Anna hid behind a pillar as the class finished with student exercises. 

“Look, there’s Elsa!” Anna whispered excitedly and pointed out a familiar blonde head in Ravenclaw colours. Rapunzel saw and nodded happily. The older Arendelle sister was her second favourite cousin, and they had both missed Elsa horribly after she went off to Hogwarts.

At the professor’s call, the third years paired off to try the spell. Rapunzel sighed as Elsa rose to her feet with natural grace, her robe billowing off her like slender cape. It was amazing to see how beautiful Elsa was becoming, and she could see how the older girl drew attention effortlessly as she looked around for a partner. A few people tried to meet her eyes, but she walked past them politely until she found her intended target. She reached out her hand, which was accepted as the blonde pulled the other up with a soft smile.

Both first years gaped when the pair moved to the side and they recognized Elsa’s partner in Slytherin’s green-collared robes.

“It’s  _ her _ .” Anna whispered in shock.

Rapunzel nodded mutely at the sight of Cassandra, looking aloof and focused, taking a stance by Elsa’s side. They looked comfortable around each other, and conversed in low voices while waiting and Rapunzel saw the dark-haired girl give Elsa a mild but genuine laugh at something her cousin said. The professor walked up to the pair, her eyes making a disdainful pause at the latter before speaking.

“Wands only, ladies. I want no wild magic in this class.” She reminded them sternly. Both older girls winced as the teacher went to instruct other students. Cassandra in particular rolled her eyes with flourish, earning her a ribbing from Elsa.

The first years sat down discreetly at the very back, watching the two older girls practice. Elsa’s spellwork was beautiful, like the natural grace of snowflakes in the wind, as she waved her pinewood wand in an elaborate way and sent a sparkle of red towards the other. Cassandra copied the professor's moves almost effortlessly and flicked her much darker wand upwards, dispelling the magic directed at her. They traded roles back and forth a few times, until a small grin spread across the dark-haired girl’s face.

Elsa caught on immediately and waited until professor Adira turned her back before raising her other hand, and Rapunzel watched transfixed as her cousin’s magic manifested into a sizzle of icy, white projectiles which she shot at the other with a flick of her wrist. Rapunzel watched transfixed at her cousin’s pristine control and hoped she would one day be half as good as her. Elsa had been the family’s biggest magical celebration until Rapunzel was born, but while Rapunzel’s magic was only cherished by its rarity, Elsa had grown into being recognized for her skill. The Arendelles took great pride in their young champion and it was easy to see why.

Cassandra, on the other hand, still had her wand raised almost as in mockery. Storming, grey eyes cutting her face into a severe shape of  _ giddiness _ , as if Elsa’s ice was something she looked forward to tame. The arrow of wild magic flew at her slightly slower than Rapunzel had anticipated as a weird feeling prickled down her back. She narrowed her eyes since something seemed weird, and she knew for a fact that Elsa could shoot birds out of the sky with nothing more than her gift. 

She  _ felt _ the change more than she saw it; how the arrow of pure ice magic suddenly convoluted in space, sputtered and  _ stopped _ an arms length away from Cassandra, who did a single flick of a finger. Rapunzel saw blue, like the skies lit by white lightning, electric and terrifying as the Slytherin girl’s hair flashed in a single instant, much like her own but in sapphire. She saw how Elsa’s magic folded into itself like a piece of parchment between a space that seemed to consist of pure nothing and black as the darkest night, and then it was just  _ gone _ . Anna gasped as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

She felt her own magic respond and roar to life, explosive and hungry like golden fire. The reaction had come so suddenly that when she gathered herself, she was already on the ground. Anna yelped beside her as the trove of books they had been carrying tipped over Rapunzel’s sprawled form in the grass, followed by a small whimper from the girl.

Professor Adira turned around and swiped her eyes in their direction, unfortunately landing both the older girls in her sight. Elsa’s magic went out with a fizzle in front of her partner. The professor’s face fell into a bulging mask of discontent, and she shifted into it with such practiced speed Rapunzel suspected it was a commonly repeated occurrence. She pulled her robes straight and marched up to Cassandra who looked her straight in the eyes in quiet rebellion.

“I said no wild magic and I meant it.” Adira said tersely in a voice of oily disappointment. “Knightlet, detention. No buts.”

Both younger girls gaped at the injustice and Rapunzel’s face burned in shame. The rest of the students stopped to watch. If she could control her magic better, it would never have drawn the professor’s attention. She also got the feeling that the woman didn’t like Cassandra one bit. Elsa, having witnessed this before, frowned and spoke up.

“Professor, the old magic was my work. Cassandra was merely deflecti-”

“With no incantation, or active spellbinds? Must be quite the deflection to be able to ground magic like yours then, ms. Arendelle.” The professor drawled sternly. “Very well,  _ both _ to detention.”

The third years stayed quiet as Adira turned around and dismissed class. The rest of the first years started to arrive from behind them. Elsa huffed and gathered her things, she gave both younger girls a flat look before putting a hand to the Slytherin girl’s shoulder. The pair began to walk away but there was no mistaking the expression of carefully controlled anger that clouded Cassandra’s face.

***

The golden snitch vibrated in her hand as she handed it back to the Hufflepuff quidditch captain. 

Rapunzel had a knack of seeing golden, shiny things. She had done so since young when she would always be the best at catching fireflies by the river, even better than Elsa who was  _ big _ . No trinket ever stayed lost for long at home and she always woke with the sunrise as long as she could remember. The team had gathered around her in cheers and watched her circle the pitch a few times, competing against Eugene who was their fastest chaser. Five rounds later it was settled. Rapunzel, who had always had to do extensive flying trips to visit  _ anyone _ finally saw her speed pay off.

At the end of the day, a slip to professor Haddock, who oversaw flying classes and quidditch, made it official; Rapunzel was the new Hufflepuff seeker. It was a good thing her father had packed her best broom with a handle in birchwood and carved patterns of birds, and Rapunzel revelled in the opportunity to play on a real quidditch team. She would certainly do her best, and thus took to practice her flying after school hours in the outer grounds. 

Today was such a day and there was a chill in the air when the sun began to set. Summer was fastly coming to an end. She licked her lips to warm them and savoured the familiar sting of cold in her cheeks. There was not a smidge of clouds in sight and the evening would be beautiful. 

She soared and spun and pirouetted in the air, keeping away from the woods since the days were getting shorter. Instead, she circled around the court, the castle and even over the lake a couple of times, and felt homesick at the sight of the sweeping hills and riverbeds beyond the castle grounds. The pumpkin patches at the foot of the hills bulged happily with its harvest of orange and red and the thick tree crowns were beginning to show tips of yellow. 

Rapunzel leaned forward and dipped her broom into a steep dive towards the animal pens. Anna and the ravenclaw boy Varian had blown something up during potion class and had been sent to help the groundskeeper as punishment. So being the good friend she was, Rapunzel had stuffed her pockets with a few cauldron cakes and set off to bring her troublemaker cousin a snack.

She pulled up at the last moment, heart still speeding from the sheer thrill of diving through the air and set her broom down by a copse of old, gnarly-looking oaks by the pegasi pen. Drawing a deep breath, she sighed happily at the day, feeling light and slightly drunk on the thought of quidditch and giddy at the sight of the beautiful winged horses. She was so distracted she hardly noticed a second figure sitting under the low reaching branches, idly twirling her wand.

“Oh helloo- eep!” Rapunzel stuttered when the other turned around and she was met with Cassandra’s deeply shaded eyes, recognition flickered across her face.

They looked at each other in silence for a few moments, neither really knowing what to make of the other. Cassandra shot her a look of interest, but merely nodded as a greeting. Rapunzel studied her intently, taking notice of how her lips thinned and eyes suddenly turned pensive. Luckily, she did not seem annoyed. 

“...Hi.” She said non-committedly, looking a bit like she had been caught at a bad time. The wand twirling stopped. 

“I- I, um, didn’t know that someone was here.” Rapunzel tried lamely. “You don’t have to stop… your wand thing?”

Cassandra blinked, looked at her wand and then back at the younger girl who shuffled her feet, unsure of what to look at. The small brunette folded her arms and broom in front of her. A few pegasi looked cautiously their way, stretching their wings.

“Do… you want to sit down?” The words were careful, and spoken in a way that expected rejection. “The foals are coming in for the night with their mothers.”

Rapunzel took a long, shaky breath. “I would love to! Um-- I’m Rapunzel… der Sonne.”

“Cassandra Hall-” Cassandra paused, her eyes fell. “Cassandra Knightlet. But you probably knew that already.”

“As in Chief-archon Knightlet?”

There was a slow nod in confirmation. “My father is the head of the aurors, yes.” Her voice was without pride and Rapunzel didn’t know what to say to that, not when the whole school knew Cassandra was adopted. 

The smaller girl tip-toed over and plopped herself next to the other. Cassandra fidgeted when their shoulders touched and Rapunzel realized too late that maybe she had seated herself to close. Elsa and Anna had always bundled close with her like sisters and Eugene would still pick her up and spin her by the arms. Cassandra however, was a stranger whom she had accidently landed in detention.

_ Yet. Stranger yet, _ she thought, as she snuck glances at the taller girl’s tidy, clean robes and tall cheekbones. Cassandra glanced back, furtively and in mild apprehension before they both broke into small smiles, and Rapunzel noticed how Cassandra’s eyes softened in response. She did not move away, and so they sat for a while, shoulder to shoulder, as the flying beasts settled for the eve. Rapunzel offered her a cauldron cake, and she noticed carefully how Cassandra preferred the ones with berries, like Anna.

“So… you’re going to be the Huff’s new seeker?” Cassandra asked conversationally between bites. 

“I am! Or, I’ll try my best.” Rapunzel puffed her chest out, but slightly nervously which made it look like she was going to hurl. “I’ve never been on a quidditch team before. My friend Eugene says it can be dangerous and kids get thrown off their brooms and break their skulls. Is that true?”

Cassandra snorted. “Fitzherbert? I suppose, if you fly like a Diricawl like him.”

“Diricawls don’t fly and look like fluffy puffer poofs.” Rapunzel mused in confusion before comprehension settled in. “Oh you’re being  _ ironic _ .”

She crossed her arms at Cassandra who looked a bit smug. “Well, would you do better then? I’ll have you know that Eugene plays on the team too, and he’s a chaser.”

“Oh I know. I’ve knocked him across the court plenty of times.” Cassandra commented, motioning her wand in a zigzag in front of her. “I play beater for Slytherin.”

Rapunzel’s mouth hung open in surprise before almost shaking in excitement, her whole body tensed up as she leaned into Cassandra. The older girl was a bit taken back, having expected the brown-haired girl to show apprehension, or even fear. Rapunzel however, who had grown up amidst woods and hills and creeks, seemed nothing but  _ thrilled _ , as if taking a bludger from Cassandra’s bat was an experience to look forward to rather than something to avoid. She grabbed onto the older girl’s arm.

“We get to play together?”

“We get to play  _ against _ each other, yes.”

“That’s basically the same thing.” Rapunzel hummed happily. “I can’t believe I get to fly in a real match with so many other kids, dodging beaters like you. And all I really need to do is to catch the snitch before the other seeker, right?”

Cassandra stared at her as if she was crazy.

“What?” She asked.

“You’re... very brave for a first year.” She said tentatively. “Just like the headmistress said.”

That caught her attention. She turned around so quickly she almost knocked into Cassandra with her broom.

“You know my mother?” She gaped in honest surprise, and couldn’t help the small twinge of jealousy that flared up in her chest. Arianna was so busy most days they only got to have tea together on weekends. She made sure to always have Rapunzel’s favourite snacks prepared, and for some reason, blackberry buns. 

Cassandra looked a bit conflicted when replying. “Professor der Sonne teaches old magic, you’ll start that with the rest of us next term. Sometimes we have one-to-one tutor sessions, so yeah, we all know the professor a little.“

“Oh.” Rapunzel replied, her voice uncertain. It made sense for there to be a special class for mages like her. And Arianna did have the sun gift, but only a sliver of it; her magic was like squeezing water from a stone while her daughter had come into the world with a head of burning gold. Her mother had never told her she would be the teacher for the subject, or why she had refused to teach Rapunzel at home. “I didn’t know. Mom never tells me these things.”

The older girl looked at her sympathetically and shrugged. “Maybe there was never a good occasion?”

“Maybe. But I wish she would.” Rapunzel said dejectedly but lit up again when Cassandra procured a small pouch with pineapple sweets from her pockets. The tart sugary taste distracted her for a few minutes and she laughed at the older girl who had the audacity to  _ bite _ into the candy. “What more did she say about me?”

Grey eyes slid to the side and towards the pens in thoughtful hesitancy. Another young pegasus landed shakily into the herd and let out a loud neigh at her airborne parent. Cassandra tilted her head, looking the oddly intense girl over before lips slipping into a lopsided bent at some secret joke she had no intention of sharing.

“That you’re curious and stubborn, and never know when to stop.” She replied cryptically. 

“Well, those sound like good things.”

“I suppose.”

“You’re not telling me something. I can tell.” Rapunzel huffed, trying to look as serious as she could with her small frame and cheeks puffed out in displeasure. “I want my cakes back if you’re not telling me.”

“I already ate them, silly.” Cassandra chuckled and stood up, she reached out and pulled Rapunzel up with her. “Tell you what. Beat me at quidditch and I’ll tell you. The Slytherin versus Hufflepuff game is the last one of the season. You’ll have plenty of time to practice.”

“I’ll hold you to that!” She exclaimed, hugging her bird-patterned broom close as she stepped up to Cassandra and stared the slytherin dead in the eyes. Their noses would be touching if not for Rapunzel’s short stature.

The Slytherin looked so confident with her face breaking into an easy smirk and shoulders settling into a relaxed, laid-back posture, as if the very idea of Hufflepuff winning was preposterous. Rapunzel had never seen Cassandra like this in school and found herself not exactly  _ disliking _ it. It suited her, just like her own joviality was her second skin. Something weird and warm and lively fluttered in her stomach and made her want to whack Cassandra with her broom, but only a little.

“Come, I’ll show you something neat.” The dark-haired girl said and gestured to her to follow, and against all her schoolmates’ better judgement, Rapunzel followed Cassandra towards the pens.

At the end of the evening, Rapunzel had learned that Cassandra’s magic made the world crackle with blue and shadows and delighted magical creatures who took to her like a natural trainer. It made her own magic sing and bubble and spill gold into her hair. She thought of the unfriendly stares and whispers that followed Cassandra like a cloak and the girl in front of her who was holding Rapunzel’s hand to a wet snout, making her shriek in laughter, and she came to a decision. When the bells tolled for curfew, Rapunzel’s clothes were wet with pegasi drool and she was all out of cauldron cakes, but walked back towards the gates with a new friend.

***

The rumours started almost the moment Rapunzel sat down beside Cassandra in the great hall during self-study. Students stood up to look over each other to see the der Sonne heir and began to whisper among themselves. Even the attending teacher looked surprised when the first year balanced her pile of readings and two mugs of tea to where the older girl had claimed a table for herself. Mercifully, no one bothered them. The only two Slytherins in the room were two seventh years who were trying to break an unbreakable charm with rather disappointing results.

They looked at each other shyly for a few moments, as if reaching a silent agreement. Rapunzel swallowed and pushed a strand of stray hair behind her ear which Cassandra at this point knew to be a nervous trait. The older girl nodded briefly at her and moved her things to make space.

Rapunzel picked a book from her pile and handed Cassandra her peppermint tea. The Slytherin girl said her thanks and handed her a quill. They settled down together, shoulders touching and ignored the stares in favour of  _ Basic Potions _ and  _ Transfiguration: Variations of The Owl _ .

Across the hall at the Ravenclaw table, Elsa met her eyes and gave Rapunzel a thumbs-up and Hogwarts had never felt more like home.


	2. The Moon Mage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the sun and moon magic meets, the heavens shall tremble! Or at least fizzle a bit when you're still a first year.

The first day of the quidditch season started with the traditional fanfare of a shrieking birthday charm. The whole school was abuzz with banners of green and blue, meals turned into shouting matches of song and house-chants, Ravenclaws and Slytherins were making a ruckus everywhere with no one to tell them different until someone set off a enchanted piñata that exploded into huge, billowing clouds of green and released snake-shaped fireworks in potion class. The class had been cancelled and the headmistress was not impressed.

The quidditch teams moved through their classes like thrummed up heroes about to go to war. Cassandra and her teammates could barely walk into any open area without being met with either cheers or boos. Ravenclaws, being slightly more level headed house, tried their best to remain dignified but it was apparent that even they were having a hard time keeping down the house pride. 

Rapunzel had a whole lot of fun with her own house. She put two bags of jelly beans in the Hufflepuff betting pool and joined in to make flags and garlands for the first game of Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor. Elsa, being the Ravenclaw keeper, gifted her an enchanted Ravenclaw hat which erupted into cheers on command and Anna pushed a pair of scarlet flags at her. 

She ran into Cassandra at practice, where she had watched the Slytherins do their final loops and stretches. The rest of the team eyed her with suspicion as she padded over when the beater split apart from her team. The older girl looked like a wind-beaten mess, her quidditch robes were ruffled and her hair a tousled, frizzy mop. A handsome broom of red oak was swung over her shoulder and Rapunzel thought she looked brilliant.

“You looked so cool, Cass!” She said happily as she bounced on her heels and made a batting motion with her hands. “Especially that last shot, wow.” 

Cassandra’s expression looked torn between something soft and exasperation. 

“Raps, you  _ know  _ players are not allowed to sit in while the other teams train.” She sighed tiredly. 

“But you were almost done anyway, and it’s not  _ really _ a rule. I looked it up.”

“The captains won’t be happy.” Shaking her head, the dark-haired girl led them to the side of the court. Anna, who was waiting at the stands looked up from her book, eyes flickering between them in curious suspicion. “But never mind that, it’s not like they’re going to be hard on a first year anyway. Did you guys need something?”

“Oh I don’t know, I could be warm and cosy reading in the library instead but no, because  _ Cassa _ \-- hey!” Anna yelled when Rapunzel swatted at her but fell into a grumpy silence, folding her Gryffindor scarf tighter around herself. 

Cassandra looked between the both of them, amused but chose to not comment. “Well?”

“I wanted to wish you good luck on tomorrow’s game. The Slytherin first years said the team was going to stay in your dormitory for the evening to rest, so I thought this would be my best chance.” Rapunzel explained, shooting her cousin a dirty look. And because she lacked impulse control and her mind was still filled with the impressive imagery of the other girl in flight, Rapunzel threw her arms around Cassandra’s torso in a hug. “So good luck, and fly well.” 

Anna gasped and Cassandra didn’t seem to know what to do. Panicked, she fidgeted with her arms nervously and put them on the smaller girl’s shoulders but leaned into it slowly. When Rapunzel let go, she was surprised by something warm being placed around her neck.

Looking down, she saw Cassandra’s green and white Slytherin scarf. The older girl tied it into a tidy knot on top of her yellow one. 

“Thanks.” Cassandra said simply, and gave her one of her rare, genuine smiles. Rapunzel beamed happily at the gift.

And that was how Rapunzel ended up at the Slytherin-Ravenclaw game in a Ravenclaw hat and waving a Slytherin scarf. She did this while hollering her lungs out for both teams and confusing just about everyone around her.

***

“Would you look after Cassandra for me?” Elsa stuffed the last of her clothes into her suitcase and slammed the trunk close, a tap with her wand signified it as ‘packed’ and ready for the house elves to carry. 

Rapunzel looked up from her game of wizard’s monopoly with Anna who had just purchased another railroad station to her budding empire. The pictures of the train flashed into her cousin’s Gryffindor scarlet and choo-ed merrily when the girl put down her marker. They were seated on the thick, wooly rug in the Ravenclaw common room by the christmas tree, waiting for the Arendelle sisters’ train. Most of the other students were already gone for the holidays, so Elsa had smuggled them in under the guise of last minute packing. 

“Why, what’s wrong with her?” She asked naturally. Rapunzel knew Cass would remain at the school for the holidays. The older girl hadn’t wanted to elaborate on why she couldn’t go home and she didn’t want to pry. Her own situation was rather unique in that her father would drop by Hogwarts with special permission, rather than Arianna and Rapunzel going home.

“Nothing, probably.” Elsa sighed, looking slightly worried. “Just promise to keep an eye out for her during christmas, ok? She might get a bit moody.”

Anna rolled her eyes at them. “Oh here we go,  _ Cassandra _ this and  _ Cassandra _ that. What will you tell Maren when she brings you a summer wreath, Elsa?” Elsa responded by tossing a pillow in her sister’s face, smashing her bundles of toy money all over the floor. Rapunzel studied them but didn’t really get it.

“I’ll do it.” She promised and went back to her game, looking forward to seeing her father again and thought no more of the issue.

Christmas eve came around with a flutter of snow which covered most of the castle in a fine patina of white. The charms teacher had overhauled the candles of the great hall into a rain of multi-coloured christmas lights and professor Quirin, who taught herbology, made sure every hall and table was crammed with christmas trees and large flowers in red and white. The whole school smelled of pine and peppermint. 

Dinner had been served at a single table where the few students and teachers who remained gathered and Rapunzel sat happily squeezed in between her parents while loading turkey and buttered peas onto her plate. Arianna and Frederic livened the mood by passing drinks and jokes around, and Rapunzel noticed how her father was already three bottles into his drink. Her parents had obviously missed each other and it warmed her heart to see them happy.

She caught Cassandra’s eyes a few times during the meal where she ate quietly and sat as far away as it was polite to be. She seemed fine but focused mostly on her food, and while the other students talked excitedly about presents and their holiday traditions at home, Cassandra spoke only when spoken to and kept her replies short. As the evening passed, she slipped away quietly after wishing the headmistress a goodnight. Rapunzel watched her go unhappily, her candy cane suddenly having lost its appeal. 

“Rapunzel?” Arianna asked softly and ruffled her hair. “Are you alright, dear?”

She watched as the door closed after Cassandra, sinking into her seat. “I don’t know mom. I’m alright, but I don’t think my friend is.”

Arianna followed her eyes and nodded. “Sometimes, the heart already knows what to do, but we have to stand apart to hear it properly.”

Rapunzel looked up at her kind and wonderful mother and smiled. Then, she kissed her slightly inebriated father good night and stuffed her pockets full of christmas treats before excusing herself and rushing out of the hall. 

She caught up with Cassandra right before the Slytherin dorms and pummeled into her just before she was about to step through the door. Away from prying eyes, the older girl seemed less stiff and reserved; she looked dejected with slightly slumped shoulders and tired, as if the holiday had been an ordeal rather than celebration. She was decisively  _ not _ ready for eighty pounds of enthusiastic  _ girl _ throwing themselves into her arms.

“ _ Raps? _ ” She exclaimed in disbelief while trying her best to keep them standing. “What are you  _ doing _ here?”

“I thought we could do something together!” She replied with a facefull of robes. “We didn’t get to talk over dinner at all.”

Cassandra narrowed her eyes and pushed Rapunzel off her. “Don’t be silly. Your family is here and you should spend time with them. That’s what christmas is about isn’t it? To be with  _ family _ ?” She spat the last word like a curse. 

Rapunzel crossed her arms, looking unimpressed. “To do what exactly? Watch my parents snog? I’d rather be with you.”

Both paused and cringed at the mental image of the headmistress  _ snogging _ .

“But-”

“Tell me to go away then.” Rapunzel tapped her foot while she reached into her pocket and fished out a fudge-lollipop with sprinkles. She wiggled closer when Cassandra remained awkwardly silent and grabbed onto the other’s arm. “I’ll see my parents at breakfast anyway, now  _ come on. _ ” She said as she half-shoved the older girl down the hallway.

After some begging and a few threats to set the entrance portrait on fire, they were allowed into the Hufflepuff dorm. The only two other students who had remained, a fifth year and a sixth year, sat engrossed into a game of wizard’s chess and did not look up when they tip-toed past. Finally, reaching the first year’s chambers, Rapunzel immediately tossed Cassandra her dress robe and set about gathering all the pillows from the unoccupied beds and dumped them on the floor. She then pulled her mattress down with some curtains and a pile of duvets. The dark-haired girl stared at the mess in incomprehensive horror.

“Pillow fort!” Rapunzel squealed and jumped into the colourful jumble of soft things. She pulled Cassandra down with a laugh and a yelp and received a cushion to her face for the trouble. The taller girl chose this moment to drop Rapunzel’s candy-loaded robe which sent three pocket-full of jelly beans, frizzy fudges and chocolate mints all over the floor.

They rolled around, both hollering in laughter as pillows and whatever was throwable was utilized in their war of dominion, and it wasn’t long before something tore and the air was filled with a storm of downs. Outside, the snow fell in silence as two girls spent the eve playing their hearts out.

Rapunzel didn’t know why Cassandra was sad and one day maybe she would tell her, but for the moment, they would at least have  _ fun _ . 

***

“So how far do you think I’ll last?” Cassandra asked with casual humour.

“Stop being so fatalistic.” Elsa replied, but did not sound optimistic. “You’ve been fine this far. And the professor might be right yet.” Cassandra snorted.

Rapunzel hadn’t meant to overhear the conversation while she was browsing the shelf for  _ Magical Potions: The Wrong Ways To Use Them.  _ The midterms were coming up and the library was stuffed with students cramming or prodding at books with wands, trying to cast summarization spells. Anna had gotten into trouble for trying to hex herself to sleepwalk and study while asleep, which had resulted in her turning up all over the school past curfew. Rapunzel had found herself a quiet corner between the shelves marked for dragonstudy and abjuration to finish an essay when she saw Elsa and Cassandra sitting together, surrounded by piles of books.

“You know, I think this would be easier if you weren’t so pessimistic.” Her cousin’s even, careful voice said.

“Easy for you to say. Your gift isn’t, what did the book call it? A poison to the mind?  _ A fray upon sanity? _ ” The dark-haired girl sighed. “Elsa, it’s been hundreds of years. I don’t know. Maybe there’s a reason the subject is no longer studied.”

“So? Doesn’t mean we should stop looking. Your predecessors might just have done something wrong, like overestimated their capacity.” A thud of a book being placed down was heard, Rapunzel held her breath. “This text here says Cressida Hallowblight lived well into her eighty fifth birthday when her husband died, she didn’t show any signs of  _ lunaphrenia _ until two years after.”

“The husband?” Cassandra asked with interest.

“Unknown, damnit.” Elsa hissed, her frustration evident.

Both third years sat quietly for a while. Rapunzel could almost visualize Cassandra’s familiar slumped form if she tried hard enough.

“There were more of us back then, it’s called  _ old  _ magic for a reason. There were so many moon mages running around they didn’t bother to record the family trees.” Elsa said, mostly to herself by the sound of it. “So all we really have are legends dating a thousand year back, or notes and diaries left behind by the few mages who took notice.” 

“Random observations and fairy tales from the middle ages. Hardly reliable.”

“It’s the best we have.” The ravenclaw girl insisted. “You know we’re doing it for Rapunzel too, right? She’s still just eleven but one day... Both the sun and the moon have their tolls to be paid, as it’s said.” Elsa commented with all the wisdom of her thirteen years. 

She saw Cassandra freeze at her name. Her whole body suddenly statuesque and uncomfortable like someone mired in uncertainty. Rapunzel couldn’t see her face, but she was positive the older girl would be wearing her signature frown, making her look aloof if not downright severe to strangers.

“What happens to them? What will it do to  _ her? _ ” Cassandra asked slowly, as if she was afraid to know. 

_ Oh, _ Rapunzel knew what was coming, _ I guess it was just a matter of time before she found out. _ One of the upsides of an isolated upbringing was that one always had a lot of time to read, and no one except for Pascal knew she had raided her mother’s research papers at the age of eight. Arianna was the best scholar of sun magery the world had seen in many years, and her material had been thorough even by Hogwart standards. She had devoured it all by her tenth birthday.

Elsa hesitated for a moment, her voice sad. “The last sun mage before Raps was named Riona Lightfellow, a branch family to the der Sonnes. She died at age thirty six, and they say her magic set her alight-- it  _ incinerated _ her from within after she tried to heal too many people at once. Most of her predecessors died in similar ways.”

Cassandra fell quiet at that, but grabbed a book and set to work.

Elsa hunched over her own tome and went on. “Once upon a time, something kept sun mages from burning and moon mages from going insane. Historically, the records of these…  _ ailments  _ start around the time of the Insurrection when so many with the old gifts perished. This might be the first time in centuries there’s been one of each of your kind around. If the headmistress is correct, well… it’s worth a shot, now more than ever.”

Rapunzel swallowed hard and went back to her studies, feeling the weight of her cousin’s words like a stone against her heart. 

***

Old magic was the only subject at Hogwarts taught without books. It’s exams were mostly practical, and there were no O.W.L or N.E.W.T associated with it because of its unpredictability. Students were handpicked according to gifts and were taught in a mixed group of all ages, and were to be taught only in the Room of Requirement or outdoors. It was also the only subject taught strictly by the headmistress, and Rapunzel quickly came to understand why.

Arianna had gathered the handful of them in a rarely used dark hallway filled with horned suits of armor before opening the doors to a grand auditorium where one side of the walls opened up into an outdoor garden. Rapunzel gaped as she stared down the riverbeds of the northern hills while her classmates milled about and found seats on large cushions in tightly weaved wicker. One boy simply floated down to the front, carried at the center of a whirlwind while one of the seats seemed to have a cloud of  _ fog _ floating on top of it, until the fog accumulated and thickened into the shape of a plump Gryffindor girl who popped into existence and took a seat. Elsa and Cassandra pushed her along. The three of them took seats in the second row, right behind a fifth year boy who was drawing a picture which seemingly came alive as he drafted with no spell or enchantment required.

“Take your seats, please! Yes, Anton, you too.” Arianna called, flicking her wand at a raven-haired Slytherin boy who was juggling large balls of water. “Alright you lot, I hope the holidays gave you some opportunity to learn from your families. Let’s hear where you left off.”

Rapunzel stared wide-eyed and felt something warm spread at the front of her chest as she watched her mother run through the students one after another. The class was a varied group, but all seemed to genuinely like Arianna as they relayed how they had practiced at home. She felt a small bang of envy however, when another girl told how her grandmother had taught her how to mend iron. Her mother had taken up the position as headmistress when Rapunzel was seven and she had no one at home to discuss her magic with since. 

Arianna, having finished the reviews to her satisfaction, tapped her wand to a desk and a number of objects appeared in front of each student. 

“The theme we will work with for this semester is  _ control _ . I know I stress you about this every second week, but it is of outmost importance that your magic does and performs what you intend it to do, and nothing is truly yours until you have absolute control over it.” Arianna explained and shot meaningful glances at a few students, among them Cassandra. “They call it  _ wild _ magic for a reason, because it cannot be bound by wands and worked into a hex or charms or enchantments, the source is always the mage themselves, like an innate part that can never be separated from the individual. This works as both a gift and a curse, can someone tell me why?”

The students looked among themselves but remained silent until a tall boy with frizzy bangs spoke up. “Because it’s hard to know how  _ much _ you can use. Spells and charms have set boundaries built in, our gifts do not.”

“Very good Mr. Albright. Anyone else?” 

“A user of old magic can hurt others or themselves if they’re not careful, or know their limits.” The whirlwind boy answered.

“Excellent! Now name a few examples of when someone with your particular gift did not demonstrate good control. I know there's a few in every family.” Arianna continued encouragingly. 

The fog-girl who had looked bored up to this point shrugged. “Isn’t that kind of like ignoring the pink dragon in the room, professor? I mean, if only we knew a  _ Hallowblight _ to ask, right? Not many of us could turn whole cities to rubble with fancy lightning shows.” She droned with a smirk, a few other students chuckled darkly. "Gave old magic a really bad name, the lot."

Cassandra froze in her seat and Rapunzel saw how her shoulders trembled in controlled anger. Subconsciously, she snuck herself slightly closer and slipped a hand into the other's. Elsa glanced at them worriedly but relaxed when the dark-haired girl calmed. Luckily, Arianna did not seem impressed and spent some time grilling those students who had laughed about the magical misfallings in their families.

And there were quite a few; accidental summons of spirits and freak tornados over the sea, fog-girl admitted to an uncle who had disseminated within a volcano to fetch a wyvern egg and lost too much water to regain his corporal form. The boy with the water told morosely of a great-grandparent who had caused a severe flood where several people had died.

The lesson moved on as they walked through common cautions and different focus methods for the different gifts, and how to apply those at their present level of skill. Rapunzel sat enraptured and managed somehow to take notes, despite using only one hand. Cassandra seemed to feel better but did not move.

“Now, can anyone tell me of a way of bettering control by an entirely external factor?” The headmistress asked again from the blackboard, where five enchanted chalksticks kept her lecture notes to date.

“Being punched in the face.” The boy with the water suggested in jest. 

The others groaned, the fog-girl spoke again. “There’s none. The boundaries of old magic are internal. The mage either masters their gift or pays for it.” She was met with assenting murmurs among the class.

“Actually, there is one.” Elsa raised her hand.

“Yes, Ms. Arendelle?””

“It’s mentioned in old texts dating to several hundreds of years before the Insurrection, and it’s said to work for only a few gifts. It’s called…  _ harmonization _ , also known as the  _ Balance of Heart and Mind _ in the east.” Her cousin explained, the class listened attentively and Rapunzel noticed how the blonde girl tried very hard to not look at Cassandra. “It can happen when two mages with gifts of opposing primal forces, be it elemental or celestial, work in tandem, or are bound to each other by other means. According to texts, the opposing nature of the forces will balance each other out, making it easier to maintain good control. It is also said it will cancel out whatever…  _ fallibility _ that comes with their particular gift.”

“Fairytales and legends. It’s never been seen in modern times.” Someone snorted. 

“Yet fire mages have been observed to never experience spiritburn when working with someone who has the gift of water.” Arianna mused thoughtfully. 

"It's true." The water-boy remarked in agreement. "My second cousin is married to a fire mage. Her currents are always perfect, and she swears she never feels the  _ drowning _ . That's um, our thing, when we overuse."

”And all legends hold a kernel of truth. Why otherwise would there exist so many similar stories from across the world?” Arianna's eyes turned to Rapunzel and Cassandra before moving on, her lips were tipped into a small, unreadable smile. 

Rapunzel looked down at her notes and thought of the golden magic that burned in her veins, its fallibility, and her presumably rather short life. A familiar tug shot through her limbs, as if something reached out to sooth her. She noticed how the tips of the Slytherin girl’s hair had turned it’s trademark blue, her own magic sprung forth in response, enveloping the gentle feeling of closeness they naturally shared. The lesson continued as the class settled while she held onto Cassandra’s hand.

*** 

Rapunzel flew excitedly into the Hufflepuff-Slytherin game, completely unaware that it would put her in mortal danger.

She had looked forward to this game all year. Every training session, every daring dive and soaring chase after the golden snitch had been to prepare for this match where she and Cassandra finally got to play against each other, and may the best team win! The Hufflepuffs had done well through the season, scraping a win against Gryffindor which left Anna moping for weeks but lost out to Ravenclaw, barely. If they won against Slytherin decisively, they had a good shot at the Quidditch cup by score and the very idea made her see stars. So it came as something of a disappointment when the clouds turned dark and the heavens opened to spit out heavy sheets of rain on the day of the game. Luckily, professor Haddock arrived shortly after breakfast to announce that the game was still on.

She had tried to drum up her best smug-like-Cass imitation when the teams lined up, Cassandra had taken one look before her face fell into a paroxysm of barely controlled humour. Both girls were already soaked and looked like drowned, miserable rats. The whistle sounded and they were off. Slytherin’s green-dashing uniforms breaking into their well-practiced positions while Hufflepuff scrambled into place. Eugene barely dodged the first bludger coming his way, sent by a murderous looking fourth year girl named Stalyan. Rapunzel herself clung hard to her broom and did an almost vertical climb to get a better view. 

The rain was cold against her bare knuckles and even her underlayers were soaked through as she made a circle above the court, trying to assess the flyplay as she kept an eye out for the snitch. The rain made everything hazy like soup and she kept getting water in her eyes, even the sounds were muffled. Most spectators were carrying umbrellas which lit up the stadium like a forest of colourful mushrooms below. Her mother could be seen in the staff box, well covered by a hastily erected shelter. 

Slytherin played a hard, physical game, relying heavily on keeping the bludgers under control to utilize them offensively during pushes. This showed when Cassandra hit a beautiful twenty yard shot and hit one of the Hufflepuff chasers square in the back when they tried to intercept the Slytherin forward. Meanwhile, Stalyan had rotated across the chasers and placed herself perfectly in position with a follow-up strike, aiming for the Hufflepuff keeper. The yellow beaters didn’t have a chance at the rough balls. The bludger didn’t hit the keeper, but distracted him enough for the Slytherin chaser to score. 

The quaffle was then passed to Eugene who shot forward like a spear. Rapunzel cheered from above as her best friend zoomed in and out of the Slytherin defensive lines. Hufflepuff played their possession as they’ve always done, a quick and fast-paced game of passes and feints with beaters hovering defensively. Eugene passed the ball to his teammate, who spun around Stalyan into her blind spot and passed it back before she could react. The boy then barely dodged two Slytherin chasers in an attempt to bodyblock as he tossed the ball to do a tailwhip. This turned out to be a mistake however as Cassandra smacked a bludger down from above, hitting not the player but his broom, and sent him careening into one of the goalposts. Eugene recovered quickly but the offensive was lost. The shot went low and was easily picked up by the Slytherin keeper, and the game turned again. 

Rapunzel zoomed in and out of the action. She had lost sight of the snitch five minutes into the game and tried to keep her angle of vision open but it was just  _ so hard _ to track in the rain. The Slytherin seeker had come to the same conclusion and seemed to be more engaged in the flyplay, serving as a distraction and bodyblocking chasers when needed rather than seeking. Rapunzel tried to help her team, cutting off chasers and the quaffle as best as she could. Hufflepuff hadn’t really trained for a poor visibility scenario and had counted on a seeker duel to win, and this showed. Their chasers were trying so hard, but against Cassandra’s and Stalyan’s iron-control of the bludgers, it was a constant uphill battle. Eugene’s broom would most likely need to be re-bristled after the game.

Cassandra flew past her a couple of times, grinning and dodging out of the way easily. If not for the rain which made her hair cling to her forehead like a mop of seaweed, she would no doubt have looked stylish on her oaken broom. Very quickly, Slytherin took the lead by ninety to twenty. Most of the scores could be accredited to their beater duo and Rapunzel had to admit the dark-haired girl was exactly as good as she made herself out to be. Cassandra’s teamwork with Stalyan and sense of the game was impeccable, and her shots went straight and hit true even in rain. It was hard to not feel happy for her, even if it meant getting her team clobbered by bludgers.

Suddenly, the clouds above lit up in a flash of lightning and Rapunzel saw a speck of gold, high, high above. She did not hesitate but raised her broom and  _ climbed _ like she had never climbed before. The audience noticed and cheered as the Hufflepuff seeker shot towards the skies like a soggy, bright arrow, chasing the hope of victory with a wildly beating heart. The Slytherin seeker saw her ascent and followed, calling to the rest of their team. 

Rapunzel’s face was going numb from the lashing of rain, every part of her was cold as she flew and flew, eyes trailing the small orb with bumblebee wings. She heard people shouting below and knew that Slytherin had changed tactics, their chasers would play more defensively now while the beaters focused on the opponent seeker. True to her words, a bludger passed to her right as Stalyan climbed the skies to her right. She could feel Cassandra’s eyes following her from below, ready for a follow-up as the pair passed the bludger between them. 

Another clap of thunder split the even sound of rain and she could almost smell the rancid ozone. The stadium was the size of a dinner plate from this height. She could feel how Stalyan followed her like a hawk, keen on her every movement as she closed in on the snitch. Another shot nearly hit her broom as she spun out of the way in the last second. Rapunzel gritted her teeth and leaned forward, taking one frozen hand off the handle, she  _ reached  _ and felt her fingers touch the buzz of rapid beating wings.

She heard the bludger before she saw it, a mighty, wet whack as Stalyan sent a longshot her way. But something went wrong, a bolt of lightning split the heavens and blinded the fourth year as she struck the ball. Her aim was off and the bludger went too high, striking Rapunzel at the side of her head the moment she closed her hand. A thunderous crackle went off in her mind as she saw stars and lights and suddenly the world was sideways, and the wind screamed in her ears. It took her a few more moments to realize that she had toppled off her broom and was falling.

_ “Oh shi--!” _

_ “Staly-! NO!!” _

People were screaming, both in the air and below. She could hear them like muffled noises as her mind spun and her face felt like fire while her body was plunged through ice. She tried to scream but no sound came. The air felt like a sludgy liquid and it was hard to breathe.

She wondered if she would die in front of her mother.

Rapunzel grasped for something,  _ anything _ as she felt her body go into a spin from the beat of the wind. People were running on the ground, trying to see what was going on above as the rain mudded their vision and overpowered the players’ yells. 

Her magic flickered as she tried to summon her broom, or anything really as she was quickly running out of options. The whole side of her head felt like it was going to explode in throbbing, hot pain and a few of her teeth felt loose. She tried to focus and call for the familiar golden embers from the recesses of her mind, tried to remember the feeling of summoning the fire into her hands as she imagined herself afloat. The magic stuttered however, manifesting only as anemic sparkles and faded from her sight. The ground was getting closer at an alarming rate.

A flash of green fluttered in her vision.

_ Raps. _

There was Cassandra, dipped into a vertical dive as she pushed her broom towards her through sheer despair, cutting through the crowding rain and violent wind. Her hair was tinted in bright, electrifying blue as she stretched out her hand with determination. And Rapunzel  _ saw _ with greater clarity than she had ever seen the lines and wisps of gold and sapphire that danced between them. 

_ Raps! _

The blue reached for the gold, like the moon eclipses the sun. Cassandra’s voice sounded older all of sudden, as if time itself had rippled; she could hear her own laughter in the midst of a green summer field.

_ Come to me. _

And the magic flared. Hers and Cassandra’s, like two halves of a whole.  _ Their _ magic. 

Rapunzel felt a pulse rock through her body as the Slytherin girl made a final push, her body now almost hanging off her broom, and it was first their fingertips, then Cassandra’s fingers slowly crept past her palm until their hands finally clasped and the world went radiant supernova. She saw with wide eyes how Cassandra’s hair and eyes lit up like the colours of the skies and seas, and her own hair exploded into blazing sunlight.

Something connected and something gave, like light and shadow and water returning to earth, ceaseless and perfect.  _ Harmony, _ she thought and tasted the word.

The magic obeyed her wish to live and broke her fall, briefly, but enough for the older girl to scoop her into a hold against her own body. Cassandra cradled the younger girl with both arms, steering her broom up just in time to crash into a set of stadium decorations as they hit ground level at lower speed. Neither felt much of the impact as the magic formed a translucent sphere and protected them from the wood and debri that fell, leaving both children at the centre unhurt. Rapunzel breathed heavily and stayed put. She clung to Cassandra’s robes as the older girl stood up wobbledy with one arm against her back and the other under her knees. The position might have been embarrassing if not for the dizziness.

There were more yells and a crowd of people hurried to them with Arianna in the front. Elsa and Anna were beside the headmistress with the rest of the school behind them. All of them stared at both girls and their show of wild magery in complete, utter bafflement.

Rapunzel nudged Cassandra eagerly from her arms, head still spinning. She managed a weak, pained smile and put out her hand to open it, showing the older girl the golden snitch she had retained through the fall. Cassandra shot her a look of disbelief, then chortled a sharp, relieved laugh as she pressed her cheek against the top of Rapunzel’s glowing, golden head. 

***

“I can’t believe I missed my first end of the year ceremony.” 

Rapunzel said with the defeated, dejected voice of a sad puppy. Propped up by a dozen of colorful pillows and with the nightstand beside her overflowing with well-wishing cards and sweets, her face was mired in disappointment. Or so Cassandra thought, it was hard to know with half of the smaller girl’s face still swollen and looking like a purple balloon. The nurse had re-fastened her teeth and taken care of most of the damage, the swelling however was just a part of the healing. Her quidditch team had wrapped up caramel-dunked donuts and candy apples from Hogsmeade in bright yellow ribbons with patterns of badger paws. Eugene had brought her a whole jar of sherbets with ‘special effects’

“It’s your head, Raps. Kind of a big deal.” Cassandra replied, eyeing the large amounts of candy with something close to nausea. She settled for an apple and took a bite. “You didn’t miss much. Stalyan sends her regards and says she’s sorry. She also set Eugene’s pants on fire during the ceremony, so here.” She placed a small plaque of golden metal mounted on a piece of wood in Rapunzel’s hand. 

The younger girl tried to chew a jelly bean and winced at the pain in her cheek. She read on the engraved metal surface:  _ Quidditch Victors: Hufflepuff _ . It was followed by the date and the names of all her teammates. She grinned and regretted the facial motion immediately.

“This is so cool.” 

“Sure is.” Cassandra chewed, looking a bit miffed at Slytherin’s loss.

Rapunzel giggled. “Ok, now show me yours.” 

The older girl’s eyes widened and suddenly looked very self-conscious. “It’s really nothing important. I mean, compared to Slytherin winning the house cup, it’s really just a small detail-”

“Uh huh, give it here you sop.”

Cassandra’s pale cheeks reddened considerably as she placed a handsome wooden plaque on the bed. The metal was in silver and below an ornamental Slytherin serpent was the boldly engraved text:  _ For the display of great valor in the face of greater adversity / Hogwarts Honour Student of The Year / Cassandra Hallowblight-Knightlet. _ The girl in question looked a bit sheepish in embarrassment.

“You won your house sixty points.” Rapunzel mouthed in awe. That was more than any other student, even accumulated over the year. “Cass that is  _ so cool _ .” 

“We should expand your vocabulary.” Cassandra retorted, but smiled through the teasing.

“I’m praising you!” Rapunzel scowled good-naturally and gave the award back. She tried to imagine the other students’ and professor Adira’s faces when mother had awarded Cass the points in glee. Then she remembered a promise made in an oaken grove by the pegasi pen. “So I won, fair and square and with a broken jaw. Now tell me what my mom said about me! And don’t try to escape just because I’m restricted to the medical ward.”

Fine, dark eyebrows climbed a notch as the dark-haired girl studied her as she crossed her arms and glared expectantly. It might even have looked imposing if Rapunzel hadn’t reached to her left for more jelly beans. Trust, however, had to start from somewhere, so Cassandra squirmed a bit under the younger girl’s gaze but met her halfway.

“She said she hoped we would grow to be friends.” She admitted weakly. “That’s honestly all she said. I was a bit embarrassed, and didn’t want you to think I was only around you because your  _ mom _ told me to.”

Rapunzel was quiet for a few moments as she contemplated the words. Outside, the afternoon sun broke through the clouds and painted the sterile white of the infirmary in bright orange. Before her, summer vacation stretched on and on with nothing but fields and woods again, and she realized while she longed for home she was already missing Hogwarts.

“Cass? You know how you said your dad was going to be busy during the summer?” She started carefully. “Will you just be in your house? In the city?”

Cassandra nodded. “It’s not so bad. It’s a big house, and has apparently been in his family for a really long time. It’s got several house elves for chores and to cook, so I’m not exactly left wanting.” She explained, but nothing of what she had told Rapunzel about the glum place sounded like she  _ missed _ being left on her own while her father worked. 

“Hmm. I wonder.” The younger girl tipped her head into a thinking pose.

“What?” 

“Would you like to come and stay with me instead, at Sunborough’s End? I’m sure my parents would love to have you!” Rapunzel asked, and once the idea had settled into her mind there was no going back. Her eyes lit up as she took hold of the other’s hand, already talking eagerly about the adventures they would have. She imagined sitting with Cassandra under the stars, an astro-lens turned to the sky or racing over the hillsides on brooms, or visiting the fae queens of the forests.

Cassandra opened her mouth, and closed it again, but there was no hiding the careful excitement across her face. 

***

**One Month Later** ****

Arianna was pouring her own and Frederic’s morning tea when a huge crash, followed by loud exclamations and the pitter-patter of many feet raced down the floor above them, making the wood creak ominously. It was a miracle the wooden building hadn’t caved beneath the burden of not one, but  _ four _ girls now housed beneath its terracotta roof. Something seemed to always be afoot, and had been so constantly since an apologetical Iduna had dropped off Elsa and Anna at their cousin’s behest. Frederic spent more and more time in his study for every day, utterly defeated by the throng of girls in the house.

It was a lively sort of fun, and made her revisit her old doubts about having more children. Anna and Rapunzel choose this moment to leap down the stairs, making a dash for the breakfast scones and grabbing several before saying their greetings and running outdoors through the kitchen veranda while stuffing food into their mouths. Both were barefoot and Anna’s hair was still a sleep-wrecked tussle.

Elsa, followed by Cassandra came after, both older girls were properly dressed and said polite good mornings to the adults. They took time to make a sandwich each and then headed out after the younger troublemakers.

Frederic looked over his newspapers and sighed at the spectacle.

“What on earth is going on today?” He asked, looking through the window with all the puzzlement of a grown man looking at a circus.

“I believe they decided to help Anna with her flying since she’s trying out for a chaser position next year.” Arianna explained, amused. “They were talking about it all night. Oh, and they’re going to challenge the reindeer herders to a game when they come to the Solstice festival, so there’s that too.”

Frederic looked at his daughter contemplatively as she zipped around mid-air on a broom. “She looks... happy.”

“Rapunzel was always a happy child, Fred.”

“I know, and she never complained once while living here but seeing her like this… It really makes me wonder if we did the right thing.” He tried, sweeping a calloused hand through dark, russet hair. “And if you’re right, if the Hallowblight girl can really become what you think she will be, well, hindsight is such a dreary thing.”

Arianna was quiet for a few moments. She watched as Cassandra loaded up on bludgers made for children, tossing loose balls at Rapunzel which the younger girl avoided with ease. Narrowing her eyes, she imagined the threads of magic between them, and for the umpteenth time since the quidditch game her chest ached with hope. It was a fearful thing to love what death can touch as the saying went, and no one knew this more keenly than the parents of sun mages.

“Anyway, I heard the Fitzherbert boy is dropping by later? They’re getting a bit too old to be tussing around, those two.” Frederic sipped on his tea. “It’s no longer proper.” 

On the fields beyond their gardens, Elsa and Anna took to the air as the older Arendelle gently guided her sister. Rapunzel on the other hand had launched herself from her broom at Cassandra with great enthusiasm as if to emulate a human bludger. The dark-haired girl scrambled to catch her and both girls fell on top of the grass as a head of black and a head of brown broke into a roll together. As they came to a stop, both girls were flushed in laughter and the hapless, fond way they looked at each other made Arianna chuckle lightly. 

“Really Fred, I wouldn’t worry about boys. I think Rapunzel will be just fine.” She mused happily.

As if they had read her mind, Cassandra and Rapunzel sat up and looked their way. For the briefest of moments, there was a crackle of blue and gold, and then there was only balance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THAT WAS FUN TO WRITE, especially the quidditch. Cassandra and Stalyan as a beater duo vs Eugene sends me.


End file.
